The wellness of our students is central to their capacity to learn. Our Health Services and Prevention & Intervention departments are dedicated to supporting our students and providing for their physical, social or emotional needs.

Social/emotional support and intervention is a collaboration between administrators, teachers, parents, counselors, school social workers and school psychologists. By builidng student skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity we prepare students for learning and for life. Our work covers prevention, as well as targeted and intensive intervention for those who need additionall support. Each school has a building level crisis team that responds when unfortunate situations occur in a building. If the crisis is more intense or wide spread, the builidng may also engage the district crisis team.

District Mental Health Crisis Team

In the event of a student, parent or staff member death or other trumatic situation, the Douglas County School District's Crisis Team takes action. The District's mental health professionals and administrators work in conjunction with DCSD's Community Relations department and Douglas County law enforcement entities to provide assistance to our school communities.

How to find support and intervention

Each school has designated time from a school psychologist. Most buildings also have designated time from a school social worker. Each secondary school has counselors. To locate your school counselor please check the building's website. Below are buttons to find the school psychologists and social workers who serve in your high school feeder.

Resources

Be more than a bystander. Stop Bullying.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

What is Cyberbullying?
Instead of happening face-to-face, Cyberbullying happens through social media and the use of technology such as computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. Cyberbullying peaks around the end of middle school and the beginning of high school.

Always think about what you post. You never know what someone will forward. Being kind to others online will help to keep you safe. Do not share anything that could hurt or embarrass anyone.

Keep your password a secret from other kids. Even kids that seem like friends could give your password away or use it in ways you don’t want. Let your parents have your passwords.

Think about who sees what you post online. Complete strangers? Friends? Friends of friends? Privacy settings let you control who sees what.

Keep your parents in the loop. Tell them what you’re doing online and who you’re doing it with. Let them friend or follow you. Listen to what they have to say about what is and isn’t okay to do. They care about you and want you to be safe.

Talk to an adult you trust about any messages you get or things you see online that make you sad or scared. If it is cyberbullying, report it.

Together We Can Stop Bullying
Are you being bullied or know someone that needs help? Do you see bullying at your school?

STUDENTSTreat Everyone with Respect
Follow the Golden Rule, by treating others the way you want them to treat you. No one should be mean to others, so think twice before doing or saying something that could hurt someone.

Stand Up for OthersWhen you see someone being bullied, take action to stop it, safely.

Get HelpIf you or someone else you know is being bullied, ask a trusted adult for help. If it is an emergency, call 911.

Look at the kid bullying you and tell him or her to stop in a calm, clear voice. You can also try to laugh it off. This works best if joking is easy for you. It could catch the kid bullying you off guard.

If speaking up seems too hard or not safe, walk away and stay away. Don’t fight back. Find an adult to stop the bullying on the spot.

There are things you can do to stay safe in the future, too.

Talk to an adult you trust. Don’t keep your feelings inside. Telling someone can help you feel less alone. They can help you make a plan to stop the bullying.

Stay away from places where bullying happens.

Stay near adults and other kids. Most bullying happens when adults aren’t around.

Get Involved
It’s more important now than ever before for parents, educators and youth advocates to start the conversation early about bullying, especially when it comes to social networking and social media tools. Parents need to know what sites and tools are most popular, so they can monitor their student’s online lives.

We know that our students are transient online, always on the search for the newest, coolest tools. For that reason, we encourage our community to be ever vigilant regarding bullying and suicidal behavior. Regardless of the platform or whether it’s in the schoolyard, on the bus, on the computer or mobile device, please stay vigilant.

Teaching students how to remain safe, no matter what the tool or site is, is our goal. When students are empowered to make good decisions when using social networking sites and tools, they remain safe.

We encourage parents to be actively involved, monitoring their children’s lives, including their time online. Using software and options from cellular carriers may be helpful.

Take Action
If you are concerned about your child’s behavior:

Start by reporting to your school: teacher, counselor or principal.

Resources are available through our YESS program, an educational partnership with our law enforcement agencies, as well as in the Student Wellness section of the District website.

911
If there is an immediate threat to your child or other students, call local law enforcement at 911.

LIFELINE
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides a 24 hour crisis line for those who are thinking of suicide. They also help those who are feeling hopeless or helpless or know someone that is.

Metro Crisis Line888-885-1222Metro Crisis Services offers a hotline for those struggling with a mental or emotional problem, getting into trouble with drugs or alcohol, having family or relationship problems, or problems at work or school. Support and guidance is free and confidential.

Safe2Tell877-542-SAFE (7233)
SAFE2TELL is designed to help YOU anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family, or your community.

Unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime.

What is dating violence?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen dating violence is defined as the physical, sexual, or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship, as well as stalking. It can occur in person or electronically and may occur between a current or former dating partner. You may have heard several different words used to describe teen dating violence. Here are just a few:

Many parents spend long nights, fretting while their teen is out, especially if they’re on a first date. Jennifer Walker with the Women's Crisis and Family Outreach Center in Castle Rock says there are some simple things teens can do to ease their parent’s worries. READ MORE...

Begin With Group Dates
When going on a first date, go with a group of people, especially if it is someone you really don't know very well. The group date process gives you an opportunity to see who this person really is and are they going to treat you right and then you have an opportunity to get away if things aren't going very well.

Create A "Code Word"Before the date, she encourages teens to set up a “code word” with their friends, so if danger is sensed you can get out of the situation. Walker says parents can also provide a perfect excuse.

Learn About Your DateIf possible, learn a little bit about the guy or girl’s relationships from family and friends.

Set BoundariesKnowing where you “begin and end” in a relationship is important, so that you can tell someone when to stop.

Seek HelpIt is important to ensure you’ve got someone you can talk to, honestly, about dating situations.

Don't isolate yourself when things are not going well in your relationships. Talk to other people about what is going on, particularly if you need help. Maybe it is a friend that has given you good advice or support. Maybe you find a teacher or your parents.

Metro Crisis Line888-885-1222Metro Crisis Services offers a hotline for those struggling with a mental or emotional problem, getting into trouble with drugs or alcohol, having family or relationship problems, or problems at work or school. Support and guidance is free and confidential.

Resources

A Community of Support After Loss

Death is part of life, but no matter our age, it can be a struggle to deal with the loss of a loved one. It can be especially difficult for young children who are unable to comprehend what has happened or teenagers who are struggling with overwhelming feelings.

That is why the Douglas County School District has gathered resources to help students, families and schools deal with loss.

Reassuring ChildrenCaring adults, whether parents, teachers, counselors or friends, can help teens during this difficult time. If adults are open, honest and loving, experiencing the loss of someone loved can be a chance for young people to learn about both the joy and pain that comes from caring deeply for others.

Parents and guardians, you are the very best support system in meeting your child’s needs. You can provide the best explanation that fits with your values and beliefs. We encourage families to talk briefly following a loss of life and to acknowledge any feelings that may surface.

Children depend on adults. If we are unavailable for them, they have no one to turn to for help with their confusion, doubts, questions, and fears. Adults need to be able to comfort a child, even if it appears that the child is unaffected by death. Remember, it is more frightening for a child to be sent away than to stay and see a parent or other adult cry because of anguish. If you believe you are unable to comfort your child because of your own grief, find someone who can. Don’t try to deal with the grief of a child if you can’t deal with your own.

What to ExpectDuring this period of sadness, you may notice a variety of reactions from your child. You may find your child unusually talkative or quiet. Your child may ask a lot of questions, be anxious, or may want to cling to you more than usual. These are all signals of the need for a little extra support. You may also notice no reaction from your child, and that is okay too. Children can experience a wide range of feelings and behaviors that are normal when dealing with this kind of tragedy.

Strive to recognize when children are in pain. Death hurts, and children need to be comforted and reassured that someone is there to help them through it. Reassurance is both physical and verbal. Hold your child to comfort them. Reassure them that it’s okay to cry, feel sorry for themselves and talk about their fears.

Check up periodically on how children are coping with their loss. Ask them directly if there is any help you can give. If you offer help, be sure to follow up on what you say you will do.

Remember, children are individuals. They will all grieve differently. Don’t be too quick to tell a child how to grieve. Don’t be surprised if children do not appear to be grieving. Sometimes they are trying to control their feelings.

Talk About It

Encourage children to talk about death. The real question is not whether we should talk to children about death, but when and how. When you talk about death, it is important to include feelings. Don’t be afraid of displaying emotions. In talking with children, especially young ones, it is important to use the words “death, dying, and dead,” and to explain that the body ceases to function. If we talk about death as “sleep,” the child might become afraid to go to bed. Children respect adults who are honest and open about death. Talk about death as permanent without euphemisms, myths, half-truths or fables. They need reassurance that death is NOT a result of their negative thought, feelings, wishes, or actions. If you select materials to help explain death and dying to children, please pay attention to your child’s age and intellectual development.

Resources

Learn the basics of Internet safety

The Internet has opened up amazing opportunities for our children, drastically changing the way they interact with the world. Now with the click of a mouse, they have access to vast amounts of information, amazing tools and the ability to interact with people from around the world. Of course, with these benefits there are many risks, including exposure to inappropriate material, online predators, and cyberbullying.

Today children use many different types of online services, each of which have their own safety concerns. By taking simple precautions, it is possible to avoid many of the dangers lurking online.

Get Involved
We encourage parents to be actively involved, by setting reasonable expectations and then monitoring their student’s lives, including their time online.

Know Where They Go
We know that our students are transient online, always on the search for the newest, coolest tools. For that reason, it’s more important now than ever before for parents to keep tabs on what sites and tools are most popular.

Cyber Safety is Practiced At School
DCSD works to support these efforts by encouraging students to take their online safety seriously, through critical thinking and civil behavior and by limiting the amount of personal information they share.

Protecting Our Children: Online & Elsewhere
Bullying is nothing new. We encourage our community to be ever vigilant regarding bullying and suicidal behavior, regardless of the platform, whether it’s in the schoolyard, on the bus, on the computer or mobile device.

Technology, however, has revolutionized the bullying problem. Instead of happening face-to-face in the classroom, on the playground or bus--cyberbullying is more stealthy. An attack can be launched, often anonymously, from anywhere, using a computer or cell phone, at any time of the day or night. This can makes the bullying more elusive and harder for adults to detect and stop. Additionally, the anonymity of the internet often makes cyber bullies bolder, which can mean more humuliating attacks.

For this reason it is crucial for parents, educators and youth advocates to start the conversation early about bullying, social networking and social media tools. Expectations must be clear that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Teaching students how to remain safe and treating others respectfully, no matter what the tool or site is, is our goal. When students are empowered to make good decisions when using social networking sites and tools, they remain safe.

Take Action
If you are concerned about your child’s behavior or a specific incident:

Stay with your child, until you are sure they are safe

If there is an immediate threat to your child or other students, call 911.

Report the situation to your school: teacher, counselor, principal or local law enforcement.

911
If there is an immediate threat to your child or other students, call local law enforcement at 911.

LIFELINE
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides a 24 hour crisis line for those who are thinking of suicide. They also help those who are feeling hopeless or helpless or know someone that is.

Metro Crisis Line
888-885-1222Metro Crisis Services offers a hotline for those struggling with a mental or emotional problem, getting into trouble with drugs or alcohol, having family or relationship problems, or problems at work or school. Support and guidance is free and confidential.

Safe2Tell877-542-SAFE (7233)
SAFE2TELL is designed to help YOU anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family, or your community.

Such problems may be reflected in classroom behavior, homework habits, academic performance, household chores and even in conversation. If your son or daughter starts getting poor grades; acting up in class; forgetting or poorly performing chores around the house; or talking in a way that suggests they are having trouble concentrating, these might be signs of stress and risk for suicide.

Threats may be direct statements such as "I want to die" or "I am going to kill myself." Or, unfortunately, indirect comments such as "The world would be better without me" or "Nobody will miss me anyway" also may be strong indicators of suicidal feelings. A teenage son or daughter might give indirect clues through joking or through comments in school assignments, particularly creative writing or artwork. Younger children and those who may have some delays in their development may not be able to express their feelings in words, but may provide indirect clues in the form of acting-out, violent behavior, often with threatening or suicidal comments.

Talk About It
Asking the suicide question does not increase the risk.

Ask directly - "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"

How you ask the question is less important than that you ask it.

Talk to the person alone in a private setting.

How not to ask the question - "You're not suicidal are you?"

Suicide is not the problem, only the solution to a perceived insolvable problem.

Listen to the problem and give them your full attention.

Offer help in any form.

Then ask, "Will you go with me to get help?" or

"Will you let me help you?" and

"Will you promise not to kill yourself until we've found some help?"

Get Help
Any willingness to accept help at some time, even if in the future, is a good outcome.

• Call 911 if you believe they are in immediate danger of harming themselves.
• The best referral involves taking the person directly to someone who can help.
• The next best referral is getting a commitment from them to accept help, and then making the arrangements to get that help.

The National Suicide PREVENTION LIFEline (l-800-273-8255) is a free 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crises or emotional distress. The LIFEline has referral information specific to each community.

• The third best referral is to give referral information and try to get a good faith commitment not to complete or attempt suicide.

LIFELINE
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides a 24 hour crisis line for those who are thinking of suicide. They also help those who are feeling hopeless or helpless or know someone that is.

Metro Crisis Line888-885-1222Metro Crisis Services offers a hotline for those struggling with a mental or emotional problem, getting into trouble with drugs or alcohol, having family or relationship problems, or problems at work or school. Support and guidance is free and confidential.

Safe2Tell877-542-SAFE (7233)
SAFE2TELL is designed to help YOU anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family, or your community.

Our Programs
The Douglas County School District takes suicide prevention very seriously. We work very closely with local law enforcement and non profit organizations in our community to educate our stakeholders and provide support to those in need.

Signs of Suicide (SOS) is an evidence-based program used in all middle schools to support the 8th grade health essential learning around personal safety. SOS teaches students how to recognize and respond to signs of depression and suicide in themselves or a friend. At the high school level, schools may implement SOS with all students. SOS is funded by a variety of local and state grants.

Safe2Tell and Text-a-Tip are anonymous ways for students to report risk-taking behavior to adults. All tips are investigated and many tips have resulted in positive interventions with students for a variety of problems.

ACT – Acknowledge-Care-Tell. This acronym is taught in SOS. All secondary schools have been given banners to publicize the importance of informing an adult of all worrisome behaviors.

Suicide Intervention Protocols are completed by psychologists, social workers and counselors should a student make suicidal statements to peers or an adult. Based on the assessment, appropriate follow up resources are given to the family. This protocol was recently revised and endorsed by Living Works, Inc to align with Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) language and processes.

Second Wind Fund is sponsored by the Second Wind Fund of Metro Denver and supports students who may be at risk of suicide by providing free therapy sessions.

District Crisis Team support – in the event of a suicide attempt or completed suicide, District Crisis Team members provide support and evidence-based suicide prevention and postvention services for schools.

Advisement Activities designed to inform students about the signs of suicide and how to respond appropriately are available for high school students.

Starfish Grief Support Groups are available to all Douglas County families touched by suicide or other deaths.

Sources of Strength – this comprehensive program designed for high school students, trains staff and students about what to look for and how to deal with potentially suicidal persons.

More Than Sad – The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention developed DVD’s for students and staff dealing with teen depression and suicide.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is an internationally recognized “gatekeeper” program designed to give adults skills to be more comfortable, confident and competent in helping prevent the immediate risk of suicide. To date, over 500 area adults have been trained. This includes more than 80 percent of DCSD counselors, psychologists and social workers. In addition, self-selected high school students have also begun to take the training.

The School Suicide Prevention Specialist - one adult at each of our secondary schools and District Crisis Team members completed the certification process offered by American Association of Suicidology.

ASIST “Tune Up’s” – are offered for those who have completed the two day ASIST workshop and desire a “refresher”.

Working Minds – this suicide prevention program is designed to equip those in the workplace to recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to respond. This training can be as short as one hour or up to three hours.

DCSD is part of the Douglas County Suicide Prevention Alliance. This interagency group shares local suicide statistics, resources and programs that educate our community on the signs of suicide and how to solicit support.

A comprehensive protocol for transporting and assessing suicidal adults and students has been developed by local law enforcement agencies, DCSD and area hospitals.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is available to all community members interested in suicide prevention for a nominal fee.

Additionally, research cited by Halzelden, an addiction treatment center, indicates that adolescents who begin drinking before age 14 are significantly more likely to experience alcohol dependence at some point in their lives compared to individuals who begin drinking after 21 years of age. In addition, youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience a number of negative consequences, such as physical or sexual assault, unintentional injuries, memory problems, legal problems, and impaired school performance.

The primary goal of prevention is to delay the first use of alcohol or other drugs. That's why delaying the age of first use of alcohol and drugs is a critical goal of prevention. Other protective factors, especially proactive parenting and strong family bonds, can help delay adolescents' experimentation with drugs and alcohol and thus help reduce long-term problems.

Experimenting Can Lead to Drug Abuse
Often drug abuse begins small. Experimenting with alcohol, marijana or prescription drugs may seem harmless enough at the beginning. Soon, however, the addicitive nature of these items can act as a gateway to increased use, dependence and more dangerous substances. These behaviors can lead to accidents, legal trouble and serious health issues.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says that prescription drugs have become the second most abused drug, above marijuana.

Not Everyone is Doing It
Peer pressure can be excruciatingly intense, especially when the message is about having fun. Many teens feel compelled to drink, do drugs and engage in other risky behaviors, because they feel like “everyone else is doing it” or that it is just a part of having a good time.

A number of studies have shown that the overestimation of peer alcohol and cigarette use is widespread among students of middle and high school. Other research has found that overestimation of peer use is a significant predictor of adolescent cigarette and alcohol use, and that adolescent onset of use can be significantly delayed by reducing misperceptions of alcohol and cigarette use among peers.

Parents & Trusted Adults Make a Difference
While peer pressure can be difficult for teens to resist, consistant and pervasive messages from the adults in their lives can make a huge difference. It is important that the same message about substance abuse prevention be delivered repeatedly by multiple sources in our young people's lives, including parents, school and the community.

According to the Partnership at DrugFree.org, kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs and alcohol from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use than those who do not.

Metro Crisis Line888-885-1222Metro Crisis Services offers a hotline for those struggling with a mental or emotional problem, getting into trouble with drugs or alcohol, having family or relationship problems, or problems at work or school. Support and guidance is free and confidential.

Parents Toll-Free Helpline1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)Partnership at DrugFree.org offers a hotline to help parents struggling with how to handle their child's substance abuse. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time.